It's official: Contreras headed to the DL, Caratini recalled

PHOENIX – The Chicago Cubs today placed catcher Willson Contreras on the 10-day disabled list (retroactive to August 10) with a right hamstring strain and recalled catcher Victor Caratini from Triple-A Iowa.

Caratini will be available for the Cubs tonight as they begin their three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field.

The 23-year-old Caratini joins the Cubs for the second time this season. The switch-hitter batted .192 (5-for-26) with two doubles, one home run and two RBI in 11 games with the Cubs during his first stint from June 28-August 1. He started five games behind the plate, with the Cubs going 4-1 in those contests. In his last game with the Cubs, Caratini connected for his first big league home run that snapped a 2-2 tie in the seventh and helped lead the Cubs to a 4-2 win, July 30 at Milwaukee.

Caratini is hitting .344 (94-for-273) with 24 doubles, two triples, 10 home runs and 59 RBI in 76 games for Iowa this season. Named a Pacific Coast League All-Star, he has a .387 on-base percentage and a .557 slugging mark, good for a .944 OPS. He batted .370 (10-for-27) with four doubles, two homers, five RBI and a 1.174 OPS in seven games since returning to Iowa earlier this month.

Acquired by Chicago at the 2014 trade deadline from Atlanta for infielder Emilio Bonifacio and left-handed pitcher James Russell, Caratini in 2016 was named a Southern League mid-season and post-season All-Star with Double-A Tennessee. He hit a career-best .291 (120-for-412) with 25 doubles, six homers and 47 RBI in 115 games last year. In 2015, he helped Single-A Myrtle Beach to the Mills Cup Championship, earning series MVP honors.

Caratini owns a .288 batting average (477-for-1,654) with 125 doubles, 11 triples, 26 home runs, 239 RBI and a .368 on-base percentage in 462 career minor league contests since he was originally selected by Atlanta in the second round of the 2013 Draft.

Contreras, 25, is batting .274 (93-for-339) with 20 doubles, 21 homers and 70 RBI in 102 games for the Cubs this season.